The Button
by JdeCastrooo14
Summary: Story I wrote from school...


Beads of sweat began rolling down the side of my face as the sun's rays bounced off my skin. It produced so much heat that it was almost unbearable to travel in a car without having to turn on the air conditioning or open the window. I rolled down the piece of glass that separated me and the world outside of the car, only to smell the scent of a freshly mowed lawn. Since it was unappealing to me, I decided to close the window and turn on the air conditioning instead. It was much better than having a window open; it was also much cooler inside the car. I watched the telephone poles go by, chasing the wire with my eyes. You can probably tell that I was bored because this "game" actually amused me. The ledge on the door served as a place to rest my arm on, and my hand a place for my head. I laid my head on the palm of my hand and I extended my arm to turn on the radio. *"Hey, soul sister, ain't that mister, mister on the radio, stereo. The way you move ain't fair you know. Hey, soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do, tonight." Turning the volume higher, I recognized the song as it filled my ear. This song was one of my personal favorites. I've always loved the band Train, and I also love _Drops of Jupiter_, another song by the same band. My eyes began to close, but before I could fall asleep, the song was replaced by the emptiness of the silence surrounding me.

Before getting out of the car, my mom grasped onto my arm and pulled me back, as if I was a yo-yo. Turning around to see what she wanted, a small voice began to emerge from her mouth. "Now, Justin, I know that your father left us, but right now, what he needs is us." My eyes rolled involuntarily, and I didn't even notice I did it. Whenever my mother gave me lectures, it was customary for me to do. "When we get up there, please be considerate of what your father is going through. He didn't mean for our family to turn out like this; he meant well. It was complicated, and just know, whatever happened between him and me is not any of you or your siblings' fault. We messed up and we regret it because it has affected you and your siblings."

My mother continued talking, and I have developed a skill that made my ear block out her voice. I snatched my arms away from her and got out of the car; I felt the warmth of the sun embrace my body. Thoughts started saturating my head, both good and bad. I knew my father left us when I was little, but maybe its time to forgive him for that. I never really understood the story as to why he and my mother separated. I've lived most of my life without him. I never had a father who taught me how to ride a bike, how to play basketball, or who was ever there for me. When I was little, it always hurt when I saw little kids with their father; I always wondered if I would ever get to see mine. Though my mom can be frustrating sometimes, I'm really proud of her because she's worked hard just to keep my siblings and me alive. Because she's so dedicated to giving my siblings and me an excellent education, she works two part-time jobs. Ever since my father got sick, he was never able to support us again. Last year, my father was diagnosed with Liver Cancer, and we recently received a phone call that informed us of my father's condition. He was in the ICU, and he was in a deep coma and doctors found out that the cancer had spread and he was in Stage IVA. This meant that the cancer has affected nearby organs and has invaded the lymph nodes. Feeling a tear appear in the corner of my eye, I quickly wiped it so that my mother would not see me get emotional.

Stepping into the hospital, I felt the quick drop in the temperature. It was obvious to anyone that it was way cooler inside the hospital. As my mother and I walked to the front desk, I tried to contain myself from getting sick. I never liked going to the hospital because I always had a feeling that I would get infected with a disease. "Hey, Mom. I'm going to sit down over there for a sec." I pointed to a chair that was on the opposite side of the Front Desk. Getting a nod from her, I walked over to the spot to which I pointed. I watched my mother talk to the old lady as I grabbed a magazine from the table beside me. My mother gestured for me to come over, so I laid the magazine back next to me, but as I did, I got a paper cut. It was on my pointer finger, and although it did not bleed, it stung a bit. I used my shirt to wrap around my finger. As my mom pressed the button to the elevator, I heard a ding and entered. The walls to the elevator were pretty glossy, and they had an intricate wood pattern on all of the sides. They were so polished you could see your reflection. My mother had told me to press 2 because that's where the ICU is located. Stepping out of the elevator, I searched through my pockets to check for my phone. Feeling nothing, I stopped my mom. "Hey, I left my phone downstairs. I'm gonna go get it, just wait for me in his room." I didn't really had plans of returning, but I knew I had to.

"Alright, but hurry… Meet me in room 19C" My mom nodded at me, and I quickly searched for the button that went back to the main floor. The buttons were a matte silver, and there was a tiny little dot in the center of each. They served as an indicator as to which button was pressed. I noticed the Braille next to each button. I wonder how a blind person would know when the doors are open. Shrugging it off, I noticed that I couldn't find any buttons that had a star on it or an L for lobby, but there was one that was blank, void of any symbols. Thinking that it was the right one that will bring me to the lobby, I pushed it. The moment I did, the numbers on the LED screen that showed you where you were started going crazy. At first, it displayed the number 2010. It started increasing to 2011, 2012, 2013… Getting worried, I pushed the button that looked like an alarm. I thought it was an emergency button, but instead, it made the number stop at 2014.

"What's going on?" I thought inside my head. Lights inside the elevator began to flicker, quite rapidly. Smoke appeared from the vent, and it was not a pleasing scent. Banging on the door, I began to yell. "Help! Help!" What was I doing, it's not like anyone can hear me. I was stuck; there was nothing I could do. The elevator then dropped rapidly, causing my stomach to turn. I always hated heights and big drops, especially roller coasters. The plunge of the elevator made me trip on my shoelace, and the last thing I remember was hitting my head on the handle that surrounded the perimeter of the elevator.

I don't know how long I was away from reality, but when I finally awoke from my unconsciousness, it felt as if someone renovated the elevator. The previous wooden walls had evolved into a cyan blue wallpaper. It had an elaborate floral pattern and was totally different from the one before. Rubbing my eyes, I realized that this was reality and that I was not dreaming. Propping myself up, I stared at the split that was between the two doors of the elevator. As the door opened, it revealed the lobby of a movie theater. Two fake plants adorned each side of the elevator, which could almost pass as a real plant if not seen up close. The sound of a bustling crowed crept into my ear and the smell of popcorn drifted into my nose. It was almost as if I could taste it because the scent of butter popped in my head. Taking one step forward, I could feel the dense carpet on the bottom of my shoe. It had a funky pattern on it, which alternated from strips to polka dots. I had no idea where I was, nor when in time I was located. I looked everywhere to see if there was a calendar nearby. All around me, I noticed my surroundings. The place seemed very familiar to me, almost as if I had been here before. Looking at a screen behind the ticket counter, my eyes met the date April 19, 2014. Laughter came out of me because I had a feeling this was an April Fool's Joke. Although I wanted to believe this, I knew inside that this was true. I must've time travelled inside the elevator. Because I pressed the button when the LED screen showed the year 2014, I probably transported to that year. Doing the math in my head, I came to a conclusion that I was 24 years old. Feeling a little peck on my cheek, I turned my head to see who it was. "Oh, uh, hey." I gave her a little smile, which I knew came off as a sarcastic one.

"Jus, our movie starts in 10 minutes. We better get going." I smiled at her, knowing that we were on a date. Her eyes lured me, captured my attention. It was as if I knew her because her eyes seemed recognizable to me. Looking at her through her blue eyes, I noticed that they had a tint of gray in it. I stared at her, noticing how beautiful her eyes were. They hypnotized me, and in an instant, it was as if I knew everything about her. They were the windows to her heart; I felt as if I knew her. Her caramel blonde hair stood out to me, bouncing with each step she took. I knew a girl that looked like her, but I couldn't process the name.

The name Abigail Sterling popped in my head. Abigail was my girlfriend during high school. Everything started to make sense, everything seemed clearer to me. Walking inside the theater, I lowered my hand only to find that it met hers. With my hand open, I started to let it drift on its own, let it do whatever it wanted. I felt cold fingers fill in the spaces between my fingers, and I looked down to see that we were holding hands. But that was not the only thing I saw. There was a noticeable item in my pocket because it was protruding. Reaching in my pocket, I felt the tight fit that the object caused. As I took it out, it appeared to be a tiny little box. Holding the bottom part of the box between my pointer finger and thumb, I used my leg to open the top part. It was a ring. Was this really happening? Was this the day I was going to propose to Abigail. I didn't know If I was ready for this.

After the movie was over, Abigail and I walked back to the garage. It was quite chilly outside, and the wind only made it colder. Abigail's jacket was no where to be in sight. "Jus, I left my jacket in your car. Can you just get the car and pick me up here? I'll wait for you by the door." If I was a gentleman, I would've done that. But because I didn't know where the car was, I embraced her in my arms, trying not to let a single raindrop come in contact with her. As we got into the garage, I started to let go of her. I followed her, taking notice of where we were going. When she turned into the space between to cars, I chased her and opened the door of the passenger seat. When I first tried to open it, I failed. I forgot that I had to unlock the car first. Searching through my pockets, I found the keys. Pressing the unlock button, I tried to open the door again. I was successful this time. Remembering that this was the special night, I decided to ask her to dinner. "Do you wanna go to dinner?" I started the engine as I waited for her response.

"Yeah, that would be okay. But where?"

"I don't know. What are you in the mood for?"

"Surprise me." I gave her a little grin, knowing exactly where to go. Putting the car in reverse, I began to pull out of the parking spot. The spot that I had just been in was now empty, open for anyone to park in. As I drove out of the garage, I noticed that the sky grew very dark. It was so dark outside that I thought it was really late. I looked at the clock, but it was only 6:30. Rain started beating down on my car the moment it was exposed from the garage. I heard raindrops strike the car, each getting louder as more of the car pulled out.

When we got on the road, I decided it was the perfect time to tell her how I felt. I started digging through my pocket, hoping to find the ring. My heart began to pound very rapidly. The ring wasn't in my pocket. But it struck me that it was in the other pocket. I chuckled a little, trying to make it quiet so she wouldn't ask what I was laughing it. But she did anyway. "What are you laughing at Justin?"

"This." I took the ring out, trying to do to things at once: drive and propose to her. It was probably a dangerous idea to propose to her while it was raining, but it was kind of a spur-of-the moment choice. Holding the wheel in my left hand and the ring in my right hand, I cleared my throat. "Abigail, all these times that I have spent with you have been the greatest years of my life. You've been the only one who has made me feel this happy. You've always been there for me, and I never want to lose you. The moments we've spent together have made me want to spend the rest of my life with you. Abigail Madison Sterling, will you marry me?" No where in my brain did I have the knowledge to know where that little speech came from. She covered her mouth, only to have the look of surprise on her face. I saw tears began to roll down her eyes, and she nodded. This meant yes, and I put the ring on her finger. I was the happiest man alive, and I let out a big sigh of relief. "I love you," I whispered into her ear. As I leaned in to give her a kiss, I lost control of the wheel and the car started swerving. I felt it go off road a little, but I couldn't really see the road because it was so dark and foggy. "Justin, watch out!" I heard Abigail say this.

I woke up feeling paralyzed. My legs felt stiff, but I was still capable of moving them. I opened my eyes, hearing the constant beep of a monitor. The first thing that appeared to my eyes was the ceiling. Tiny little dots covered each square, which formed a numerous amounts of shapes. What shape it would be was left for the person looking to answer. My neck felt firm, and it was really difficult for me to turn my head. This wasn't what stopped me from getting up and storming out the door, but the IV that was in my arm. I followed the tube from my arm all the way up to the liquid that was contained inside a bag. It wasn't clear. It appeared to be a deep ruby red. On the bag were the letters AB+. Then it hit me. Abigail and I got in a car accident. She was no where to be in sight, and I felt my heart drop. A nurse walked pass my door and I yelled at her. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" I saw her walk over, and she waited for me to ask her my question. "Do you know if the girl I was in the car with is okay?" I was really worried because it was the biggest mistake of my life. Why didn't I wait until we got to the restaurant to propose? I had to be an idiot and my stupidity caused this to happen.

Her expression changed from blissful to distressing. A pale appearance overcame the nurse's face. Her countenance was so white that I thought she was about to get sick in front of me. I had a very, very bad feeling about this. She hesitated as she began to talk. "I'm really sorry, but she did not survive the car crash. You were lucky enough to have had your air bag go off, but hers did not."

Unbelievable. I was so distraught. No where in my body did I have the strength nor courage to believe this to be true; I had to be dreaming. I wanted to feel as if this whole thing was not real, but I knew it was. Tears began forming in my eyes, slowly creeping down my cheek. I had an urge to rip out the IV out of my wrist, but I knew it would only make things worst. I had only one request, and that was to go back to the present. "Can you please take me to the elevator? I want to go for a walk…" The nurse explained to me how I had to wait for the blood transfusion to be over.

Several hours passed; it felt as if the whole day did. Time goes very slow when you're troubled. Although there was nothing to do during those long hours, I occupied myself by watching each drop of blood drip through a tiny nozzle into a small chamber. After the whole bag was empty, the nurse let me go on a walk, but I had to promise her that I would only go on my wheelchair and not walk. Rolling along the hallway, I could hear the wheels come in contact with the floor. It sounded like there was something sticky on the floor. Coming to a halt in front of the elevator, I pressed the button to go down. As I entered, I saw that the button that had taken me to the future was there was again. When the doors were closed, the LCD screen displayed 2014. It was just like last time, all over again. 2013, 2012, 2011… As it got to 2010, I pressed the button quickly so I would not miss it. The elevator began going wild, but I expected this. Falling out of the wheelchair, I landed face flat. I awoke from my oblivion, and I saw the doors reveal the same hospital I was in with my mom. I pushed myself up from the floor, and I was able to stand up on my two feet. The wheelchair was absent, it wasn't in the elevator.

On the opposite side of the hallway was a window. My view was disturbed by a rush of crowd hurrying to get to their destination. A doctor in the middle of the commotion began to yell. "Code Blue in room 19C!" Code Blue was the sign they use when someone was in cardiac arrest. I knew my father had passed away. I stood in the center of the elevator, my back against the wall. My knees began to weaken, and I felt the wall slide along my spine. I just sat there with a feeling of nothingness running through my veins. I just stared out the elevator, observing the uproar all around me. As the doors of the elevator closed, I got one last glimpse of the sunset through the window. Hues of orange and yellow intensified the sky; it appeared to me as a big fire.

My hopes of being alive were diminished. Although everything that happened made me feel like I had no reason of living, I learned one lesson. Don't wait to tell someone you love them, because when you turn around, they might be gone. Appreciate all that you have today. Love those around you. Forgive those who hurt you. Remember those who have ever made an impact on your life. You only have one life, live it to the fullest. You'll never have the chance to live it again.

Silence engulfed the interior of the elevator. I slowly began to lift my head up, only to see the number 2010. Maybe I did have the chance of starting over. 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006… Taking a deep breath, I pressed the button, hoping this would be the last time. Music began to fill my ear, as I made my journey, my journey back to life. *"Maybe I'm to blame, or maybe we're the same. But either way I can't breathe. All I had to say is goodbye. We're better off this way. I'm alive but I'm losing all my drive cause everything we've been through and everything about you seemed to be a lie, a guiltless twisted lie that made me learn to hate you, or hate myself for letting it pass by. All I had to say is goodbye, we're better of this way."

Works Cited

Monahan, Patrick. "Hey, Soul Sister." By Amund Bjorklund, Espen Lind, and Patrick

Monahan. Rec. 2009. _Save Me San Francisco_. Train. Columbia, 2009. MP3

Vesely, John. "Goodbye." _A Twist in My Story_. Secondhand Serenade. Glassnote Records,

2008. MP3.


End file.
